Automatic feeder for printing-presses



5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. SCHAEFER.

AUTQMATIS EEEDEE EOE PRINTING PRESSES. No. 407.840.

- Patented July' 30 1889,.

N. PETERS, Fhnm-Limngmpm (N0 Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. SCHAEFER.

AUTOMATIC I BDI-IR IOR PRINTING PRESSES.

No. 407,840. Patented July 30, 1889..

(No Model.) 5 sheets-sheen s.

A J. SCHAEFER.

AUTOMATIC FEEDER EUR PRINTING PRESSES. No. 407,840. Patented July 30, 1889.

(NO Model.) l 5 Sheets-Sheet 4. Y

y J. SCRAETIzR.v

E AUTOMATIC FEEDER EUR PRINTING PRESSES. No. 407,840. Patented-July 80, 1889.

(N0Mode1.\ ssheefs-sheen 5.

J. SGHAEFER.

AUTOMATIC FEEDER POR PRINTING PRESSES. 100,407,840. Patented July 301889.

,5H/enfin?? N.- PTERS Phnlmlilhogrzpher. Wnsmngton. D. C

jing had to the Vaccompanying drawings, inV

. been acted upon by the rubbers.

VVVcentral section.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN SCHAEFER, OF HYDE PARK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND HENRY H. IVINDSOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC FEEDER FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of -Letters Patent N o. 407,840, dated July 30, 1889.

Serial No. 287,502. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN SCHAEFER, residing at Hyde Park, in the county ot Cook and State of Illinois, and a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Automatic Feeder for Printing-Presses, of which the following is'a speciiication, reference bewhich- Figure l is a plan. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail, being a section through a part of the machine at line 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. Alis a side elevation,many of the parts being in a different position from that shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical g Fig. G is an end view looking to the left of Fig. 2. Fig. 7` is a detail, being a cross-section at line 7 of Fig. 5,1001(- ing to the right, showing one-half only of the machine and some parts being omitted. Fig. 8 is a detail, being a sectional View at line 8 of Fig. l, showing a sheet of paper after it has Fig. 9 is the same as Fig. 8, except that the pressurebar is raised, allowing the paper to assume a horizontal position.

The object of my invention is to provide devices by means of which single sheets of paper can be automatically fed to a printingpress, which I accomplish as illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter described.

Those things which I claim as new will be pointed out in the claims. l

My feeding devices, together with the frame by which they are supported, form an attachment which can be readily connected with and removed from an ordinary cylinder printing-press.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention with such a press, so much only of the press being shown as is necessary to illustrate the use of my invention.

In the following description that part'of the machine which is at the left hand of Fig. 2 will be considered as the front andthe other end the rear of the machine.

In the drawings, A represents apart of the frame of a cylinder printing-press.

B represents the cylinder.

C is the usual cog-wheel on the cylinder.

d d are guides on a rock-shaft h, which shaft can be rocked by devices connected with the press as usual.

D D are two metal bars, which form the side pieces of the frame which carries my devices. Each of these bars is provided with a slot c, and the rear end oi each of these bars is broader than the remaining portion, as indicated in the drawings. These bars are to be bolted to the frame of the pressin any suitable manner.

E is an adjustable table on which the sheets of paper F are placed. G is a cross-piece which extends upward, against which the front ends of the sheets are placed. This 'cross-piece is provided with two notches d, Fig. l, to receive grippers.

e is a pressure-bar, which is bent upward, as shown at .l l, near each end,and then bent out horizontally, as shown at 2 2, and the two the extensions 4 at the lower end of the rods f.

j is a rod fixed inthe upper ends of the two uprights k, one on each side of the machine. Each upright 7c passes loosely througha piece of metal Z, which, as shown, is integral with a bar on, which bars slide in guides on the side bars D D. The lower end of each upright 7c is provided with a roller, which rollers rest on the extensions 4 on the lower ends of the rods f.

n n are two short rods, which can be vertically adjusted in the heads 0 0, which heads are adjusted laterally on the rod j. On the lower end of each rodn is a piece of rubber p, or other suitable material, and these rods and pieces p are arranged behind the pressure-bar and constitute pushers to push the sheet of paper toward the grippers, as here- I IOO other end of each rod is supported by and can slide in a support q, secured to the bar D or D.

r s are adjustable tappets on each rod H.

I is a crank-arm on the shaft of the cylinder.

J is a connecting-bar, one end of which is connected with the crank-arm I and the other end is pivoted to the lever K, the lower end of which is secured to the rock-shaft h.

K is a lever similar to K.

L is a bar bent into the form shown, the ends of which bar are located in the slots c in the bars D D and slide therein.

M is a bar pivotally connected at one end to the upper end of the lever K and at the other end to one end of the bar L.

M is another bar, connected to the lever K at one end and at the other end to one end of the bar L.

N is a shaft pivoted in the vertical parts 6 of the bar L. One end 8 of this shaft is bent downward, and is so arranged that it can engage with inclines u@ on the barD.

x are the upper jaws of two pairs of grippers, which upper jaws are secured to the shaft N.

O is another shaft pivoted in the vertical parts of the bar L, one end 9 of which is bent forward and carries roller l0, (see Figs. l and 2,) which roller can engage with the under side of a piece w, which is secured to the bar D.

y y are the under-jaws of two pairs of grippers, which under jaws are secured to the shaft O.

z is a six-sided collar on the shaft N.

ll is a spring arranged to engage with the collar z, and the spring holds the gripperfingers :c either open or closed.

a is an incline on the bar D. All of the inclines u, fu, and a are adjustable.

P is a cross-bar secured to the frame.

ZJ is a sliding cross-bar, the ends of which move in slots c.

d are two pieces turned up at one end and `Secured to the bar h.

e' a re two springs connected at one end to the fixed bar P and at their other ends to the sliding bar b.

`f are two angular pieces pivoted to the bar P, and arranged so that one end of each is in contact with one edge of the bar Z9.

g are springs which act on the parts f.

7L are'levers pivoted to the frame.

z" are connecting-bars, one end of each of which is connected with the lower end of one of the levers h and the other ends to the sliding bar h.

R R are two screws, which pass through screw-threaded holes in the arms j', which arms are secured to the table E.

S is a ratchet-wheel secured to the upper end of the screw R.

T is a lever pivoted upon the screw R, one end of which lever carries a pawl k', which engages with the ratchet-wheel S. Upon the lower end of each screw R R is a bevel gearwheel l', which wheels engage with bevelwheels m on a shaft U.

n is an adjustable stop, against which the short end of the lever T can come in contact to limit its movement.

0 is a spring to return the lever T to its normal position.

p are strips over which the paper passes from the table to the cylinder.

A leading feature of my invention is devices by means of which the pressure-bar e is made to press upon the paper and hold it near one end while the Vpush'ers or rubbers engage with the paper and are moved forward, carrying a portion of the paper along and making a bend in it, as shown at q', Fig. 8, immediately after which the pressure-bar rises, the rubbers remain in contact with the paper, and the bent portion of the paper falls by gravity, forcing a part of the sheet beyond the line of the remaining sheets, as indicated in Fig. 9, in which position the paper can be caught by the grippers, the rubbers at the same time being raised from the paper, which grippers move back and forth as the cylinder rotates through the act-ion of the crank-arm I, connecting-arm J, levers K K, and connecting-bars MVM. .Y

In Fig. 5 the parts are shown in the position last suggested, the grippers having begun their movement toward the cylinder. When the end 8 of vthe gripper-rod N passes up the incline u, the upper gripper-jaws will be lifted by the rotation of the shaft N, and will come into the position shown in Fig. 4, and will be held there by the spring 11, which is in contact with the collar e. At the same time the movement of the sheet will be arrested by the guides a, with which its edge will come in contact. The grippers will be carried forward a little farther and then the free ends of the lower jaws of the grippers will be raised alittle, as shown in Fig. 4and will be brought out of the way of the sheet by the movement of the end 9 ofthe gripper-rod O over the incline a. At about the same time the ends 5 of the bar L will come in contact with the tappets r on the rods H and force such tappets intoV contact with the upper ends of the levers h', and through thevconnecting-arms t" a little movement will be given to the bar h and pieces d attached thereto, which will carry the paper along a trifle if from any cause such movement be necessary, which will be the case whenever the paper has rebounded from the Aguides a or been removed away from them by the jar of the machine. A little side adjustment will also be given to the paper when necessary by one of the pieces f', which are acted upon by the movement of the bar b.

The pressure-bar e and the rods n, which carry the pieces of rubber p, are raised by the rocking cams z' on the shaft h, which cams engage with the under side of the right-angled extension 4 from the rod f. When the cams IOO IIO

' sheet.

- shaft U.

leave this extension 4c, the pressure-bar and the rubbers drop by gravity. The rubbers are operated by the movement of the rods H when the ends 5 of the bar L come in contact with the tappets r on the rods H, and this action takes place just before the time when the upper jaws of the grippers open. Such movement of the rods H moves the sliding bars m in their bearings, and with them the rods la and the rods fn, which carry the rubbers. Vhen, by the revolution of the crankarm I, the bar L and the grippers are carried to the paper to take another sheet, the lower jaws of the grippers will be returned to their proper position by the roller lO,pass ing under the part w, and the upper jaws will be closed by the passage of the end S of the gripper-shaft N over the incline c. The rubbers are moved back by the contact of the ends of the bar L withthe tappets s on the bars H, which takes place just before the grippers grasp the projecting The table which carries the paper is raised a distance equal to the thickness of a single sheet with every revolution of the cylinder by the partial rotation of the'screws R R', which are operated by the contact of the lever K with the outer end of the lever T, which operates the pawl k', which engages with the teeth of the wheel S on the screw R, and by adjusting the stop n each movement of the lever T and pawl 7c can be made to move the ratchet-wheel S a great-er or less distance. There is a ratchet-Wheel and pawl only on one side of the machine, and through these the screw R is operated, and the screw R on the other side is at the same time operated through the bevel-wheels Z m and (See Fig. G.) Then all the paper on the table has been used, the table can be lowered by rotating the shaft U, the crank V being shown for that purpose.

By the word rubbers I do not mean simply the pieces of rubbers at the lower ends of the rods fn., but the devices which act upon and push the paper to form a bend therein, which devices may be called rubbers or pushers.

If desired, springs may be arranged to act on the pressure-bar to increase its pressure on the paper; but ordinarily a bar can be made heavy enough to perform such office without the aid of springs.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Leiters Patent, is as follows:

l. The combination ofthe presser-bar e, having end rods f, the laterally and vertically movable uprights k, carrying a rod j, provided with pushers p, the rock-shaft h, having cams t', acting on the end rods of the presserbar, and means, substantially as described, for rocking the shaft and moving the uprights.

2. The combination of the pressure-bar e, having end rods f, the rock-shaft h, having cams t' to act upon and raise ,said rods with the pressure-bar, side bars D D,a sliding bar L, supported by the side bars and carrying grippers, the levers K K, connected to the rock-shaft, and arms M M', connecting the levers with the gripper-carrying bar, substantially as described.

3. A pressure-bar, as e, the ends of which are secured to vertical rods, as f, havingrightangled extensions, as 4, in combination with a rodj, supported by uprights 7o, which pass through a piece, as l, upon a sliding bar m, rubbers or pushers, such as n, on the rod j, and a rock-shaft h, having cams t', substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. A pressure-bar, as e, the ends ofv which are secured to vertical rods, as f, having rightangled extensions, as 4, in combination with a rod, as j, supported by uprights, as 7e, which pass through a piece, as Z, upon a sliding bar m, a rock-shaft h, having cams t', rubbers or pushers, as n, and rods H H, provided with tappets r s, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. A pressure-bar, as e, supported by rods f, rubbers or pushers, as n, rock-shaft h, and cams t', in combination with the cylinder of a printing-press, crank-arm I, connecting-arm J, levers K K', and rods H H', provided with tappets r s, side bars D D', sliding bar L, shafts N O, carrying grippers, and connecting-arms M M', substantially as and for the purposes specified.

JOHN sci-IAEFER.

lVitnesses:

E. A. WEST, ALBERT H. ADAMs. 

